Wire-stretcher.



T. M. SNELLING.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2, I914. I 1,147,655. I Patented July 20,1915.

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T. M.- SNELLING. WIRE STR-ETCHER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1914.1,147,655. Patented July 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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THOMAS M. SNELLING, OF LA JAR/A, COLORADO.

WIRE-STRETGHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. SNELLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Jara, in the county of Gonejos and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to provide an efficient tool of simpleconstruction for stretching the wires between two fence posts, after thewires have been severed, so the ends may be connected or splicedtogether to take up the slack and to tighten the wires.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for clamping thewire at two points after the line wire has been severed and for drawingthe severed ends together a sufficient distance so that they can beunited by pliers or other tools fortaking up the slack in the linewires, such stretcher being so constructed that a free space is givenfor the splicing operation.

These and other objects may by means of the construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of awire stretcher secured to the upper line wire of a fence, said line wirebeing severed and the wire stretcher being in position to pull the wirefrom opposite directions at opposite sides of the parted ends, Fig. 2 isa sectional view on a larger scale of the rack and pawl mechanism in oneof its positions, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same in anotherposition, Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view and partial elevation of oneof the wire; clamps, Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 6is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates one member of thestretcher and 2 is the other member thereof. The member 1 has an angulararm 3 and-the member 2 has a similar arm 4. These arms each have aterminal lug 56.

The wire clamps are substantially identical in construction, and hencethe description of one will serve for both. Each clamp consists of alever 7 having an eccentric Specification of Letters Patent.

be attained Patented July so, 1915.

Application filed January 2, 1914. Serial No. 809,943.

. the line wire, and said lever is pivoted upon a bolt 9 extendingeccentrically through the head 8 and inserted into the arm 4, as shownin Fig. 4. The head 4 is disposed immediately under the lug 6, and thelatter serves as the stationary jaw of the clamp. Formed integral withthe lever 7 is a guard'lO, and when the lever 7 is swung in onedirection, the wire a may beinserted between the lug 6 and the head 8 ofthe clamp, and when the lever isswung in the opposite direction, thewire is clamped between the lug 6 and the head i The member-1 of thestretcher is provided with spacedguides 11-12 connected thereto byrivets or bolts 13, and the member 2 is mounted to slide in said guides.The member 2 on its lower edge is provided with a series of ratchetteeth 14. A lever comprismg spaced members 15 is pivotally connected at16 to depending bearing members 17 rigidly connected to the member 1 byrivets or bolts 18. Pivoted at 19 between the the upper edge of'themember 1, while the opposite end bears against a screw threaded plug 25,said plug being adjustable in the backstop to regulate the tension ofthe spring 24. The lower end of the backstop 22 is inclined, as shown at26, to engage the ratchet teeth 14, and the outer portion of the I part26 bears upon the curved surface 21 of the pawl 20 to hold the nose 27of the pawl into engagement with the teeth 14 during one movement of thelever 15. The pawl 20 is engaged frictionally with the member 15, sothat when the lever is moved. towardthe left, as shown in Fig. 2, thenose 27 of'the pawl will disconnect from the teeth 14 until the curvedmember 21 comes in contact with the part 26 of the backstop, at whichtime the nose 27 will be forced upwardly into engagement with one of theteeth 14.

The operation of the stretcher may be briefly described as follows: Theclamps are engaged with the wire a at some distance apart, and the wirea is severed between the clamps. By moving the lever 15 toward theright, the member 2 is moved in the same direction through the guides 11and 12, and the opposite ends of the wire a are brought together and bymeans of a suitable plier or tool the severed ends are twisted and theslack is taken up. It is to be noted that the members 1 and 2 aredisposed at some distance from the wire a, and hence there is plenty ofroom to operate the pliers for twisting the ends of the wire together.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A wire stretcher comprising a relative stationarymember, a relative movable member having ratchet teeth and beingslidably mounted on the relative stationary member, a guide carried bythe relative stationary member and engaging the other member, a backstop slidably mounted on the relative stationary member and its lowerend cooperating with the teeth of the movable member, and spring meansholding the back stop in an adjusted position upon the members.

2. A wire stretcher comprising a relative stationary member, a relativemovable member provided with ratchet teeth and slidably mountedon therelative stationary member, guidescarried by one of the members andengaging the other member, a back stop secured to the stationary memberand having its lower end curved to conform to the configuration of theteeth of the movable member, a spiral spring seated in the upper end ofsaid back stop, one end of said spiral spring resting on the upper edgeof said stationary member, a screw plug on the end of said back stop forengaging the free end of said spiral spring for adjusting the tenion ofsaid back stop on the stationary member.

3, A wire stretcher comprising a relative stationary member, a relativemovable member provided with ratchet teeth and slidably mounted on therelative stationary member,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. SNELLING. Witnesses H. C. HALL, LUTHER A. NORLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

